1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to portable speaker systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to portable speaker systems having adjustable enclosures.
2. Description of the Related Art
The portable audio market has changed dramatically in the past several years. Recent trends have focused on the improvement of overall sound quality of portable devices. Much of the improvement has occurred in the sources for sound generation. For example, portable CD audio players and MP3 audio players have garnered increasing shares of the portable market in comparison to more conventional cassette players and radio sources. While focus on such sources has helped the overall perceived sound quality, further improvements have been somewhat limited by portability constraints.
Portable audio products find wide usage in society. These audio products are often employed for work and personal use, e.g., at the office or home, as well as during travel in the car, in a park, garage, or hotel room, or even in business presentations using a laptop computer. The required portability of these audio devices limits the overall size and weight of the system and hence the types and sizes of the speaker drivers and enclosures used. Some conventional portable audio products include self-contained units such as portable radios and boomboxes to address the portability needs whereas others employ headphones, built-in laptop computer speakers, and miniature amplified speakers to accommodate portability in sound producing means.
Generally, it is desirable from a sound fidelity standpoint to user larger speakers. Larger speakers will achieve lower frequencies and therefore sound better than smaller speakers, but are bulkier and heavier which is a disadvantage for portability. Generally smaller speakers, either built-in to another device or stand-alone, in a single enclosure, are more easily transported, but cannot produce low frequencies, or achieve good stereo separation because of the short distance between the drivers. Therefore there is a trade-off between portability and sound quality.
It is therefore desirable to provide a portable speaker system having the sound quality obtainable from a larger enclosure but provided in an enclosure having a convenient size and shape for transporting.